Amanda Brown/For the Star-LedgerScotland Preston of Gov. Livingston is The Star-Ledger Top Performer of the Week in girls golf.

SCOTLAND PRESTON, GOV. LIVINGSTON

Senior, 5-8

JUST THE STATS: Scotland, the reigning NJSIAA girls Tournament of Champion medalist and New Jersey Women's State Amateur champion, captured medalist honors Monday at the Westfield Blue Devil Invitational at Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield, her home course. Scotland had five birdies, including three consecutively, against one bogey to record a four-under-par 43 that led the 47 boys from the eight schools competing. She carries a handicap of 1.2 and will play for Kansas State.

FAMILY TIES: Her mother, Denise, and father, Mike, met when they were
collegiate golfers at Alabama. After a brief
career as a touring pro, Mike is now the head professional at Echo Lake.

HER UNIQUE NAME: "My full name is Scotland Kathryn Preston. My dad has traveled over there a bunch (as a sophomore in college, once before he was the head pro at Echo Lake and then 28 out of his 29 years at Echo Lake) and he loves it over there. It is definitely his favorite country, and he thinks it is so beautiful, so he decided to name me after it. My mom didn't want to know whether I was a boy or girl, so when he suggested Scotland (he did know that I'd be a girl), it was a name that would work for either gender."

FIRST TIME SWINGING A GOLF CLUB: "Probably soon after I learned how to walk."

FIRST EAGLE: "On hole No. 16 at Echo Lake, when I was around 10 years old, I hit a 7-iron for my second shot in for eagle."

SOME THINGS PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME: "When I was 14, I broke 80 for the first time and broke par at the same time when I shot 71 at Echo Lake."

BEST ADVICE YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED: "My dad has told me many times to play one shot at a time, and it has helped me in so many situations, and it is something I'll always remember whether I'm playing well or not. Also, my dad always tells me to go out and have fun."

BEST TIP YOU WOULD GIVE A GOLFER: "Practice, practice, practice."

THE FUTURE: "I'm really looking forward to playing collegiate golf at Kansas State, and just assessing my game after college to see where to go next."

ROLE MODELS: "My parents. They've taught me so much and have been so supportive of me in every facet of my life."

FAVORITE GOLFER: "Phil Mickelson."

FAVORITE TOURNAMENT: "The Women's Western Junior, which I've played in North Carolina, Indiana and Illinois. It's a great format of stroke and match play." (It was at the Women's Western Junior in 2011 at Knollwood Country Club at Granger, Ind., near South Bend that Kansas State first connected with her.)

FAVORITE TOURNAMENT I PLAYED IN: "The 2009 U.S. Girls Junior at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J. That was such a great experience."

PROUDEST MOMENT ON A GOLF COURSE: "Either winning the Women's State Amateur (last summer) because it was the best golf I've ever played or the (NJSIAA girls Tournament of Champions individual title) because it meant a lot to me to bring the title back to my high school."

COURSE I WOULD LOVE TO PLAY: "Pebble Beach."

IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON AN ISLAND, WHO WOULD BE THE PERSON YOU WOULD WANT THERE: "My best friend, Sarah."

IF YOU WERE PRESIDENT FOR A DAY: "Increase funding for Alzheimer's research."

DREAM VACATION: "Disney World with all of my best friends."

DREAM FOURSOME AND WHERE YOU WOULD PLAY: "Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer at the Old Course in St. Andrews."